Elder Care Cafe

Welcome back!The longer we live, the more likely we are to suffer life-changing situations and grief in our lives that might bring on bouts of depression. We’re more vulnerable to changes and sometimes don’t have the energy or the money or any other means to change situations that happen to upend our lives. Most elderly [...]

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A side effect of aging or even chronic illness that most people do not understand is the loneliness that most seniors experience. Loneliness isn’t just about being alone. It is about being lonely, and, unfortunately, it comes with a price. Along with loneliness comes the feeling of isolation, of being disconnected from family, friends, neighbors, and the [...]

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There are a couple types of depression that may show themselves in today’s economic times. Short-term depression occurs in most all of us at some time or other in our lives, but severe depression is more serious and may require some type of medical care or intervention. Severe depression is when the feelings become so agonizing [...]

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The economic decline over the last couple of years in the United States, with its accompanying number of people who have lost their jobs, their lifestyles, and often their homes, reminds me how many people could also be struggling with depression. Unfortunately, the older people are when enduring these life-changing losses, the more likely they will [...]

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As people age, socializing must rank right up there with diet and exercise on the ladder of importance.  When a spouse dies or an aging senior becomes ill, sometimes family and friends withdraw simply because the person no longer fits into their lifestyle. Instead of keeping busy and finding new friends, many seniors often become [...]

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Throughout the year we have the opportunity to view the national flag of the United States of America. After all, it is a well recognized symbol of freedom throughout the world. The first American flag was officially adopted on June 14, 1777 with the original 13 stars. The 50-star flag we have today was adopted [...]

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In last Friday’s post I reviewed an interesting and inspiring book by Robert and Patricia Gussin titled What’s Next…for You? The couple took retirement to an all time high as they reinvented themselves from corporate America to authors, publishers, and winemakers.

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Seniors, can you feel Spring in the air? Over the last few days I have had the niggling feeling that Spring is in the air. I can feel it! Every year, sometime in February or March, I get the sense that the air around me feels a little different. There is a freshness and newness [...]

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God has given me a precious gift since we moved into our new home – the gift of Peace. Both Dad and I are feeling it, and are very much aware that we are living in a space filled with peace. As the new year descends upon us, I am preparing to write my goals [...]

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Along with the goals and objectives I am developing for the coming year as mentioned in yesterday’s post, I am also including healthy aging as a priority for both Dad and myself. As a caregiver, I need to stay healthy in order to better help the one I am caring for. Here is a brief [...]

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Every year since the early 1990s I have written down my goals for the coming year. Some years I have had great success by diligently following my goals, while other years life seemed to take its own course and the goals fell by the wayside. Unfortunately, that was the case in 2009. In one of [...]

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We were saddened last week by the death of my Dad’s sister, my Aunt Vi. She was 92-years-old at the time of her death. She and Dad had spoken by phone almost daily since the death of her husband in 2001, which was especially helpful to Dad after the death of his wife (my mother) [...]

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You made the decision. You chose to care enough for someone else that you were now their caregiver. Whether you decided to move in with the person you were caring for, or they moved in with you, you arrived at a time when you wondered how you were going to keep it all together.

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Over the years, most of us lived our lives along a continuum of day to day experiences that grew into weeks, months, and years. One day we looked back and realized just how many years we have been on earth. At some time or other most of us have faced not only our own struggles, [...]

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As caregivers soon learn, stress becomes part of their daily life. Long hours, mental and physical strain, and isolation, among other aspects, often leave the caregiver exhausted and at the breaking point. In the past, we have discussed a number of ways caregivers can de-stress when their duties seem overwhelming. Earlier this year I found [...]

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